Taking on Station Square High
by MeBeKiki
Summary: Knuckles' emerald is gone, the Babylon Rogues have a price on their heads, and G.U.N. won't stop bothering Sonic until he agrees to investigate the newest (and most suspicious) school in Mobius: Station Square High School. But what do all of these problems have in common? Sonic is determined to find out. SonAmy; KnuxRougeShad; Shadikal; Charmy/Cream/Tails, Vector/Vanilla, Espio/?
1. enter: team sonic

**/enter: team sonic/**

* * *

 _Poke._

… _Poooke._

The cobalt hedgehog popped one eye open ever-so-slowly, his vision clearing from his rather pleasant sleep, and being met with startlingly intense emerald orbs that held a wild glint. Pink fur surrounded them, long natural lashes jutting out and just a bit lower, a peachy muzzle and mischievous smile filled with unspoken mirth to complete the image. A wild rose was in his bedroom hunched over him.

Letting out a startled cry, the (usually) fearless hero crumbled within his bed, sinking further into the sheets. He wasn't sure how the rosy hedgehog even had access to his apartment, and surprisingly he wasn't too curious to find out. Not right away. The pink hedgehog wasn't even deterred by his scream; she simply giggled and backed up to stand on her feet. She put her hand on her hip, using the other to show off a gilded, elegant looking envelope.

"Amy…" he half-whispered, mind still groggy from sleep. He didn't like being awakened. He especially didn't like his alarm clock being his irritating, self-proclaimed 'girlfriend' and number one fan.

"Rise and shine, my love!" She sang, doing a small, playful twirl in her little red dress. Sonic tried not to stare too much at how nice her hips looked when she performed the action. Sure, the tiny hedgehog was growing up rather nicely and looking beautiful, but…

She broke into his apartment.

It was either that or she followed him home last night and hid in his closet… or something along those lines. Sonic didn't know, all he wanted to do at that exact moment was get her out of his apartment without making her cry and _get back to sleep_.

"Amy," he repeated, trying to blink away the drowsiness. "I need some more sleep."

"I have something for you!" Amy said, holding the extravagant envelope out towards him.

Sonic gave it a disinterested glance. Envelopes usually contained _papers_ with _words_ which meant _reading_ … Nah. Not at this hour. It didn't look like the tiny covering could contain baked goods or chili dogs either, so Sonic did not want to open it.

"Please, Sonic!" She gave him a tiny pout that he refused to admit was adorable. "I think you'll want to open it when you realize who it's from!"

Sonic arched an eye ridge.

 _Oh really?_

The azure-furred hero highly doubted that. Now he narrowed his eyes at Amy, trying to detect truth from lie. Amy was a blaringly good and honest person. Lying wasn't her forte. In fact, she had the worst poker face in the history of poker faces. He didn't even formulate a proper, verbal response to her claim and he could already tell she was bursting at the seams.

"O…kay." She said breathily. "It's from GUN."

The moment she finished the sentence she gasped. A flash of blue disoriented her vision and the hedgehog was gone. She frowned, stomping out of his bedroom to find that he had leisurely sprawled himself across the couch in his living room. She blushed suddenly, thinking of how childish her longtime love was, yet how he was old enough to live on his own. Sometimes Amy couldn't help but question if it really was appropriate for him to be independent. Sure, his parents trusted him since he may have saved the world once or twice, but… sometimes she felt as he needed someone more mature to keep an eye on him. If he was looking for an opening, she would gladly take the job.

Snapping out of her inner thoughts, she walked up to the hedgehog, her facial expression turning from its frown to an expression that was sugary sweet. She batted those gorgeous lashes of hers, walking up to her true love. She wanted to remain as calm and patient with him as possible. If there's one thing she learned from chasing after Sonic relentlessly it was that consistently getting angry with him and threatening him with her hammer only agitated him. It always made him run away, and considering he could run at the speed of sound… Well, even Amy was no match for that. And the girl could seriously run.

"Sonic, dearie, I think you'd like this mission."

"I don't think I would." Sonic grumbled.

"But if GUN wants our help, then it must be serious." She said.

He still wouldn't budge. It wasn't like Sonic to be stubborn.

She sighed, trying to think of something else. She racked her brain, trying to pick out what she loved about him. But there were too many things. His laugh, his smile, his positive attitude, the way he could light up a room in less than one second, his strength, his speed, his abs…

Amy sighed dreamily before focusing in on her ultimate goal: to get Sonic to open this damn envelope. And then, it hit her.

 _His morals._

"The people of Mobius could be at risk!" Amy cried out suddenly, which caused Sonic to look at her.

He remained silent, urging her to continue with his eyes.

"I mean, what kind of hero would sit around on his butt and allow people to get hurt?" She bit her lip as she said this. She rarely criticized Sonic, and she knew in her heart of hearts that he really wasn't that type of hedgehog.

Her words were enough to emit an emotional reaction from him, though.

"Okay. I'll do it." He said, "But, I won't do it without my best friend by my side."

Amy's heart raced when she heard this. His words made her feel all sorts of emotions, and she couldn't help rushing forward to give him a bone-crushing hug. Sometimes, she wondered if he realized how sweet he actually was at times.

"Oh, Sonic… Of course I'll do this mission with you! I'll be there with you through anything!"

Sonic felt heat rushing into his cheeks.

"Um, Amy? I didn't mean…"

"For better, for worse, for rich, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part!" She squealed, lost in her love for Sonic.

"No, Ames…"

"I DO!" She screamed.

"Gah! Amy! I meant Tails!" Sonic roughly pulled himself from her embrace, giving her a livid stare as he did so. His gaze immediately softened, however, when he saw the crestfallen expression on her face.

"But I mean… You can come with me too." He said, holding his hand out.

Amy's smile returned again, and she happily took his hand, holding onto it gently, ready to be swept off her feet by her prince Charming.

"Mystic Ruins?" She asked, knowing that Tails would most likely be at his workshop.

"Mystic Ruins." He confirmed, scooping her into his arms before zipping off at the speed of sound.

* * *

Blue.

It was a color that Knuckles wasn't particularly fond of. It reminded him of the vast sky, which was something he found himself looking at a lot lately, since he was always guarding a jewel on top of a floating island. He didn't like it. It made him feel trapped. It reminded him that he had a tie to his emerald, whether he liked it or not. But right now he was staring at the vast sky and his emerald wasn't even _here_.

It was also the color of his cocky friend and teammate, Sonic the Hedgehog. He thought of the blue blur's annoying voice suddenly, and he felt as though his previously clear head was now throbbing in pain. Just thinking about the annoying hedgehog that he had the honor of calling his friend gave him a headache.

Blue.

It was the color of Tikal's eyes, which made him think that perhaps it wasn't that bad a color after all. He couldn't deny that he had grown attached to the fellow echidna ever since her soul was released from the Master Emerald. She was a pacifist, kind, gentle, caring, everything he always strove to be. If she weren't his ancestor, he would have implored a relationship that went beyond that of being 'just friends.'

He gave a mirthful smile at the thought, glad to know that there was one good aspect in regard to the color blue. The rest were just bitter reminders of how pathetic his life was.

Like… _her_.

Blue also happened to be the color of _her_ eyeshadow.

Always clad in a way too revealing cat suit adorned with a pink heart breastplate, Rouge the Bat was sneaky, deceitful, flirtatious, manipulative, everything he had been taught to avoid. There was no doubt in his mind that she had been the one to steal his emerald, but his beautiful, peachy companion wouldn't let him glide down to Night Babylon to find out. His blood boiled at the thought of her, undesirable emotions pulling themselves forward as his mind flashed back to all the times she had tricked him.

He walked towards the island's edge, dangling his feet over it, eyes cast downwards. Blue was also the color of the ocean. His island was making its descent, ready to plunge into its cold, moist depths. The closer it got, the more anxious he became. He could sense his emerald out there, somewhere, but wasn't sure where exactly it was.

"Tikal, _please_." Knuckles said, looking back at the peach colored echidna.

"I have no problem with finding the emerald; I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"I… I won't hurt anybody." Knuckles grit his teeth as he said this, knowing it was a promise he could not keep. But he was desperate. And he could literally see Tikal losing her energy, becoming weaker and weaker with each day that passed by. They needed that emerald, whether or not she was willing to admit it. But if someone stole the emerald, they weren't going to give it back peacefully. Tikal was the kind of girl that believed 'violence is never the answer,' and as much as he loved that quality about her, it was getting in the way of him saving the island. He expected her to understand the importance of it, especially given that she was an echidna like him. That should have meant she would be able to understand him better than anyone else could.

"Knuckles," she raised a shaky hand, cupping his cheek. She gave him a warm smile, "I know that we can find your emerald and not have to cause anybody harm. Forgiveness is key, okay? I believe in peace. You know this. The moment I turned to violence… I… I perished. I don't want the same to happen to you."

"But it's the Master Emerald." Knuckles said, "You know how important it is."

"It isn't worth it if you get yourself killed." Tikal said worriedly. "And what's the point of having an emerald with no guardian?"

Sooo… that's what this was? She was really just concerned about him? Knuckles couldn't help being flattered by her kind words. It made him feel… fuzzy inside. He smiled at her, a warm expression that was for her and her only.

"I won't get killed. This isn't the first time the emerald's been stolen. But we need to look for it while we can. If we get off Angel Island… We'll be able to get a stronger signal. The island is falling, Tikal. Please, we need to go." His body turned so he could face her, he lurched towards her suddenly, grasping her delicate hand within his large mitt.

She gasped, blushing at the contact. He had never touched her like this.

"We can look for it together. We both have a connection with the emerald, right? We would find it in no time. Come on, take a chance. I know you haven't been happy just sitting up here all day, doing nothing. I've been doing it for years upon end. It sucks."

"It doesn't 'suck.'" Tikal said, blushing. "I'm here with you."

Now it was Knuckles' turn to blush, and he slid back a little, taking himself away from the island's edge to stand up, never letting go of Tikal's hand as he did so.

"We need to go." He said, his violet eyes now holding a new sort of urgency.

She bit her lip, losing herself within him, inching closer and wrapping her arms around him. It was her unspoken consent for him to glide towards the surface, with her in his warm and gentle embrace.

"Okay…" She said, her voice barely higher than a whisper. "But where will we go?"

He mulled over this for a moment. Where would they start? Station Square? Night Babylon?

"Um…" Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to Sonic, or Tails. His two-tailed genius friend had a workshop in the heart of Tikal's ancestral home; her ancient city.

"Mystic Ruins?" he asked, watching knowingly as her eyes softened at the mention of her ancient home.

"Okay." She said quickly, holding onto him as tightly as possible as he glided off the island, and towards civilization.

And she didn't plan on letting go.

* * *

It wasn't like anything the little fox had worked on before.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he truly was growing fond of the lovely rabbit. He knew of the annoying bee from Team Chaotix that also wanted her attention, but Tails was sure that he would be able to woo her with one of his contraptions. He shaped his metal scraps into a heart, using his paint brush to finish it off with a lovely shade of pink. If this didn't make Cream want to be his girl, he wasn't sure what would.

Slowly yet surely, he finished off his masterpiece. He held it up to the light, admiring his work.

 _I'd like to see Charmy beat that._ He thought to himself with a devious smirk.

He really did want things to work out between him and Cream, though. Ever since the death of his beloved friend Cosmo, the kind and polite rabbit was the one who picked up the pieces to his broken heart. Soon enough, he found himself falling in love with the rabbit, realizing that maybe fate had given him a second chance to be with someone that he could love.

As he looked on at his contraption with a proud smile on his face, the door to his workshop burst open so suddenly that he yelped and dropped it, causing it to shatter. Distraught, the two tailed fox turned to the perpetrator, ready to angrily tell him off.

His eyes met that of Sonic's. The blue hedgehog was standing there with a blushing pink hedgehog in his arms.

Not even two seconds later, two more figures appeared in his workshop, and Tails groaned when he realized the impending request that was soon to follow.

Knuckles and Tikal made their way forward, not even stopping to acknowledge the presence of Sonic and Amy.

Then, in an eerie unison, all four of them spoke at the same time.

"We need your help."

* * *

 **2/16/16: I can't believe I'm starting a new story but I've always wanted to write a Sonic High School fanfiction and I've had these chapters in my drafts since SEPTEMBER! So I'm caving and sharing it with you guys.**

 **Old Author's note from 9/18/15 lol -**

 **Warning: if you don't like Sonic High School fanfictions that seem to plague this fandom, I don't recommend this story for you.**

 **But if you choose to stay, then let's do this...**

 **I already have a good bunch of chapters for this story all good and ready to be published. Now all I need as incentive to post them are… reviews. ;)**

 **MAIN PAIRINGS/TRIANGLES: Sonic/Amy, Tails/Cream/Charmy, Knuckles/Rouge/Shadow, Shadow/Tikal, Jet/Wave, Espio/? (it's a secret, you'll find out soon enough)**


	2. enter: team rose & team chaotix

**/enter: team rose & team chaotix/**

* * *

The fox stared at all four of them with a blank expression on his face. It was a rather insipid look that lacked poignancy, akin to Shadow's signature scowl. He had been working hard on a metal heart with a special surprise inside of it for Cream. He hadn't actually PUT the surprise in yet, and now he wouldn't be able to do so any time soon. Sharp scraps of frail metal and wet pink paint were littered across the floor. But he tried his best to keep his composure, knowing something was amiss for his companions.

It was then that Knuckles and Sonic decided to acknowledge each other's presence.

"Hey, knucklehead! Fancy meeting you here." Sonic said, grinning at his crimson companion's peeved expression.

"My name is NOT 'knucklehead.'" Knuckles responded with a glare.

"Heh, whatever _knucklehead_. And hello to you, pretty lady! What's your name?" Sonic greeted Tikal warmly, ignoring Knuckles' heated stare. Amy frowned, getting angry as well.

Tikal turned and smiled at the blue hedgehog shyly. So this was the famous hero she had heard so much about. There was much about Knuckles' friends she had to learn about, but she knew that amongst all of them, Sonic was probably his closest friend out of all of them.

…By default. The echidna was absolutely socially inept.

Tikal couldn't deny that Sonic was attractive, but judging by the pink hedgehog that was in his arms, he was probably taken. She tried to suppress her disappointed expression, knowing that her father would not have approved of her pursuing such a relationship.

"Hello. I'm Tikal." She was itching to step towards him, to shake his hand and get a feel of the blue blur, but his arms were occupied carrying someone else. Instead, she simply stared at him longingly.

"I guess you're finding more and more of your kind, aren't you?" Sonic inquired. He was admittedly fascinated by the echidna in front of him. For so long, after the death of his parents, Knuckles had been convinced he was the last of all the echidnas. This proved to be false when he met and fell for the ex-Dark Legionnaire, Miss Julie-Su. The two were struck with the Soultouch, but this wasn't a guarantee that they would be together forever. They eventually split up, leaving Knuckles heartbroken and believing that love was just a waste of time. He should have seen it coming. The Soultouch was weak. It seemed to be more of a sign of desperation rather than actual affection. Even his parents couldn't stay together because of it. But at least they were able to start a family. At least they stayed together long enough to birth a new guardian. Knuckles could only wish to be that lucky…

Then of course, there was Shade the Echidna. She had once been a member of the Nocturnus Clan, an empire of sinister echidnas that yearned for world domination. He hadn't seen the female warrior in quite some time, but now that he had Tikal, she was the least of his worries.

"I wonder why all of them are females…" Sonic teased lightly, breaking his train of thought.

Knuckles' eyes widened, "H-Hey! Shut up!"

"Pimp." Sonic said, which caused Amy to giggle lightly.

Tikal glanced back and forth between the two, oblivious to their exchange. The echidna, though physically young, was mentally old and primitive. She had much to learn about the slang and manner in which the youth of the present day treated each other.

"I'm assuming you two came here separately?" Tails asked, breaking their little spout.

"Yeah." Sonic said, finally deciding to put Amy down, despite her protesting hiss.

"GUN has a mission for me. I want you to come along."

"Why didn't you ask me?" Knuckles asked, slightly bothered.

"I was _going_ to," Sonic said pointedly, "But you kind of live on a floating island. Getting here is much easier. Besides, it seems like you're already occupied." He snickered, stealing a glance at his rather attractive friend.

Knuckles bit his tongue, "It won't be floating for long. The Master Emerald is gone. I want you guys to help me find it."

Sonic burst out laughing.

"You lost it? Again?"

"It wasn't lost. It was stolen." Knuckles said defensively.

"Whatever! You still don't have it!"

Knuckles' left eye twitched and he felt his fists clench up. Tikal noticed and immediately reached out, taking his hand in hers and unclenching it for him.

"Besides," Sonic continued, his laughter subsiding. "Why ask us? Aren't you an experienced treasure hunter? That would mean you should ask another experienced treasure hunter." Sonic had a suggestive expression on his face.

Now, Knuckles wasn't the fastest echidna when it came to comments such as these, but even he knew what Sonic was thinking. Tikal, however, did not.

"Another treasure hunter?" She inquired, staring at Knuckles curiously.

"We're talking about his girlfriend." Sonic said, "She's sly, cunning, and super fine."

At this comment Amy growled. She couldn't believe her darling Sonic would comment lustfully on another woman's appearance with such nonchalance.

"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Knuckles yelled, "I can't stand her!"

"Okay, okay Knux. I believe you. Calm down." Sonic frowned, not liking the echidna's ridiculously short temper.

Knuckles eased up a bit when he noticed Sonic wasn't joking anymore.

Tikal frowned, still not satisfied with this answer. Knuckles was interested in somebody else? Not that she cared or anything, given their situation and upbringing, she had always had a bit of a maternal view of him. After all, she WAS 4,000 years older than he was. But over time, she began to notice how attractive he was. His well-built arms, those bulky legs, the way his dreads swished to and fro whenever he walked… She wondered if there was some sort of unspoken sexual tension between the two of them. But apparently not, given that there was someone else.

"There's always someone else," She murmured, disappointedly.

But before Knuckles could ask her to repeat what she had said, Tails let out an exasperated sigh.

"Guys! Can you take this somewhere else? Look, as much as I would love to help you both, I have matters of my own to attend to. Sonic, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find other friends who can do your mission with you. And Knuckles, you have the ability to sense the Master Emerald more than anyone else. If you don't want to look for it on your own, why don't you do what Sonic suggested and ask R –"

"There's no way I'm teaming up with that bat. She's a pathetic thief."

Amy snickered, "You got that right."

Tails still pressed on, "Well, she's always going after the Master Emerald. Maybe she has it."

"If she does, I won't hesitate to put my hands on her." Knuckles said, raising his fist and swinging it in the air, forgetting about the promise he had made to Tikal.

Sonic laughed at the unintended innuendo behind his words, "Oh yes. I'm sure the both of you would like that."

Knuckles' jaw dropped.

"H-Hey! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Whatever." Sonic turned to Tails, looking at the envelope Amy had given him. "Tails, bro, I really do want you to help us on this. I think this would be good for us. Could you put off whatever you're doing… so we could possibly save the world?"

"Er…" How could Tails say no to that?

While he stumbled over his words, Amy sighed, clearly impatient and frustrated with the progress they had made on recruiting their friends for the mission. She was certain that Knuckles would want to find his emerald and wouldn't be interested in helping them. She then thought of her own best friend.

"Fine. Whatever. Stay here and be a LOSER. We'll go save the world with someone else."

Sonic looked at Amy with a frown.

"Like who?" He asked.

"Well, if your best friend won't help you… maybe mine will? I could talk to Cream."

The moment her name slipped Amy's lips, the fox's eyes lit up.

"Cream?" He asked, his interested escalated.

"Yeah." Amy said, slightly suspicious by his sudden change of attitude.

"Um… M-Maybe I could help you?" Tails said shyly, blushing like crazy.

Knuckles groaned, seeing Tails' intentions clearly.

"Great. Now I'm stuck looking for the Master Emerald by myself, all because of Tails' stupid crush." He frowned.

"I do NOT have a stupid cr –"

"YEAH, you do." Knuckles cut him off. "Whatever. Let's go, Tikal."

Tikal followed him out of the workshop, giving Sonic, Amy, and Tails an apologetic look.

"Good luck on your mission, guys."

"Some friends you are." Knuckles said bitterly, frowning. For once, he wished that he could be considered a priority to his friends. It seemed like they only came around when they needed help. Sure, Sonic was always busy, eating chili dogs and saving the world and whatnot, but his visits to Angel Island had practically diminished. Same thing went with Rouge. And as much as Knuckles enjoyed Tikal's company, she didn't bring him the excitement he desired.

"Knux, wait!" Sonic zipped towards him, blocking him from exiting. "If you help us on this mission, we'll help you find your emerald."

"Do you even know what the mission is?" Knuckles asked, frustration evident in his voice. Knuckles came to Mystic Ruins with a purpose. He knew what he was after, and what he needed to do. Sonic didn't even bother explaining what his mission entailed, and Tails STILL took his side.

"Well…" Sonic smirked, gently opening the fancy envelope, "Let's find out."

* * *

Despite all the adventures she had embarked on, Cream considered herself a simple girl. And as a simple girl, she appreciated the peaceful lifestyle that she lived with her mother and her chao, Cheese. She was still a child, trying to savor the innocence and ease that came with being young. She wanted to share that sort of connection with someone that could understand her lifestyle, and the hyperactive bee that frequented visits to her house seemed to be that special 'someone.'

As soon as she heard the familiar 'buzz,' a smile broke out on her face.

There he was, little Charmy with flowers in his hand and that infectious grin that warmed her heart time and time again. Behind him was none other than Vector the Crocodile. Although Cream was young, she wasn't clueless, and certainly not as naïve as everyone thought her to be. She knew of Vector's attraction to her mother. In fact, everyone was aware of it, and even felt embarrassed for the poor crocodile, as it was clear that he was smitten.

Cream, who had been cleaning up the kitchen was grinning from ear to ear, staring at them from the kitchen window. She immediately ran over and opened the door, heading straight towards Charmy.

"Hi Charmy!" She beamed at him, and he buzzed happily at her smile.

"Hiya Cream!" He said, landing lightly and gracefully on his feet, then extending his hand out towards her. In it was a lovely arrangement of flowers. "I picked these especially for you."

Cream smiled, taking the flowers and grabbing his hand at the same time.

"Come on, I'm going to find a vase for these. And then we can go inside and play!" She said. Not wanting to be rude towards her other guest, she greeted Vector warmly. "Hello Mr. Vector! My mom will be happy to see you. She's upstairs in her bedroom, I'll go get her for you!"

Vector smiled, holding his own set of flowers. He was looking forward to meeting up with Cream's beautiful mother.

Cream set up some water and a lovely, ornate vase for the flowers. Afterwards, she ran upstairs to get her mother. While she was upstairs, Charmy turned to his older companion/father-like figure with a mischievous expression on his face.

"What?" Vector asked, frowning at the young bee's suspicious expression.

"Have you… kissed her yet?" He asked, snickering.

Vector rolled his eyes, slightly grateful that the young bee still retained a shred of innocence. Had he been a few years older, he would be asking Vector a completely _different_ question. And the answer to that question, much to his dismay, would still be no. He didn't feel like he was making much progress with Vanilla, the beautiful mother of Cream, and overall maternal figure of the whole gang. He made sure that she was well-aware of the fact that he was attracted to her, but he wasn't sure if she wanted to become more than friends, or if she was waiting before delving back into the game of love.

He always wondered what had happened to Cream's father. Who would leave such a heavenly woman to be a single mother? Especially given everything Eggman had put her and her daughter through… He wanted to love her and protect her and keep her out of harm's way. That was his main goal. Not sex, and most definitely not 'kisses.'

So when he answered Charmy's question, he answered with innate fortitude, "No. I haven't kissed her yet, and that isn't what I want, Charmy. I hope that's not what you're expecting from Cream either."

Charmy pouted. He didn't like it when Vector reprimanded him.

"What's wrong with a kiss?" He blushed at the prospect. At first, he wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss Cream. He was scared of getting cooties, but the more time he spent with her (which started when he began tagging along with Vector who always wanted to visit Vanilla), the more he began realizing how fond he was of her. He didn't understand much about love, but he did know that Cream gave him warm, bubbly emotions that made him come back to her time and time again.

"There's nothing wrong with it. I just think you're too young to be worrying about that sort of stuff." Vector said, his attention shifting from the bee to Vanilla and Cream, who were both coming downstairs. Vanilla had a warm expression on her face, smiling gratefully to Vector.

"Hello." She said, her hands folded in front of her dress modestly.

He was love struck. Immediately his hand started to tremble as he thrust his bunch of flowers toward her. She giggled at his flustered expression, stepping forward to place one of her hands on his shoulder.

Cream bit her lip and turned to Charmy.

"Maybe… we shouldn't play in here. Let's go outside." She said, and they both headed outside and gave their respective elders some alone time.

"What do you want to play?" Cream asked once they were out of the house.

Charmy thought for a moment, buzzing around as he did so.

"Hmm… How about… I Spy?" He asked.

Cream blinked a couple of times, thinking about his suggestion.

"Okay?" She said a bit curiously. She wasn't too familiar with this game.

"I'll show you how to play. You find something, then say 'I spy with my little eye…' and you say what you see! But make sure it rhymes."

"Cool!" Cream said, wanting to impress Charmy, though she still wasn't quite sure on what they were playing.

"I'll show you." He said, sensing her hesitation immediately. She smiled at him gratefully.

Charmy looked at an older couple walking down the street. He blushed, wondering if that would be him and Cream someday.

"I spy with my little eye… a happy couple walking by." Charmy said, turning to look at Cream. Her head perked up, and she saw the couple for herself.

"Wow! You're good at this game!" Cream exclaimed.

"Yeah. But now it's your turn." Charmy said with a buzz.

Cream smiled and gave her surroundings a long, hard look.

"Okay… I spy with my little eye… Some pretty white clouds in a pretty blue sky."

Charmy clapped, giving her a thumbs up.

"Heh, you're good at this too!"

Cream looked down, feeling flattered but a bit embarrassed.

"No, I think you're better… Now it's your turn." She said.

They continued to play their game for quite some time, when Charmy noticed something.

"I spy with my little eye…" Charmy paused, looking down the sidewalk that he and Cream had been playing their little game at. Hues of blue, red, pink, and orange were walking, getting closer and closer within his line of vision.

"Sonic! And – and Amy!" He buzzed, whirring excitedly.

Cream stood up, a victorious grin breaking out on her face.

"That didn't rhyme! I win!" She said contentedly.

Charmy couldn't even be fazed by her comment. Instead, he grabbed her shoulders and whirled her around. Her friends came into view.

"Oh!" She said excitedly, running towards Amy who began sprinting towards her at well.

"Amy!" She squealed delightedly, allowing the slightly older hedgehog to pick her up and swing her around playfully. Cream laughed, burying her head into the pink hedgehog's shoulders. Behind them, Tails popped up, a light blush had generously spread across his muzzle.

Amy put Cream down slowly, stroking her ears affectionately as she did so.

"I'm so glad to see you! We wanted to talk to you about something."

"Something…?" Cream asked curiously, she peeked behind Amy and saw Tails standing next to Sonic. He was staring straight at her. Her heart skipping a beat, she giggled and waved to Tails shyly.

"Hi Tails! Are you just gonna stand there or give me a hug?" She asked, teasing him. He laughed nervously, but stepped forward and gave her a hug. He closed his eyes, cherishing the moment and enjoying having her wrapped up in her arms.

When he pulled away however, he couldn't help noticing the slightly miffed look on Charmy's face.

"I hope you two weren't busy with anything," Sonic said suddenly, stepping forward and smirking at Tails, who looked uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Oh, no. We were just having one of our play _dates_." Charmy said, putting emphasis on the word 'date.'

Tails blinked a few times, feeling a bit concerned.

"How often do you guys have these 'play dates'?" He asked.

Cream, oblivious to the jealousy brewing between the fox and bee, looked at Amy with curiosity.

"Um, what was that 'something' you wanted to talk to us about?" She asked, ignoring Tails' question completely.

"Oh, well Sonic just got a letter from G.U.N. for a mission. It seems serious. It involves us going to a new high school that just opened up. Would you be interested in tagging along?"

"That sounds great, but I don't think I would fit in. I'm not old enough to be in high school." Cream said, frowning.

"You can pose as a child prodigy! That's what Tails is going to do. Maybe he can teach you the basics of some high school subjects so you can be more convincing?" Amy asked, with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I – I don't know Amy… I'm still too small. Didn't you ask your other friends? What about Knuckles? He could be in high school."

"Knuckles said he would do it if we help him find his emerald. He's always losing that damn thing, I swear. Anyways, I agreed to help him so yeah, he - along with his new girlfriend - will join us but we want as many agents as possible. Commander has invited us to headquarters to tell us more about the mission. Would you come along with us?"

"Uh… Well…" Cream fumbled with the hem of her dress, not sure of what to say.

"I'll go!" Charmy said, startling everyone else.

"You will?" Cream asked, looking at Charmy.

"Yeah. I can get Vector and Espio to come too! Vector can be a teacher and Espio could be a student. That's great, right?'

"Totally little dude!" Sonic said with a grin.

"Sonic!" Tails said through grit teeth. "I don't want him coming along."

"The more the merrier! Besides, if he goes, Cream will join us for sure."

"Really?"

"Really."

Tails looked at Cream, who was looking at Charmy.

"…Okay. I'll join you guys!" Cream said with a grin.

"Coolio, I'll go tell Vector!" Charmy said, running to the house excitedly.

"Did he just say 'coolio'!?" Tails asked.

Sonic looked at him with a wary expression.

"What does she see in him?"

"Just let it go, buddy."

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Before you all get your hopes up too soon, I will tell you this. I know which pairings will be endgame. Right now I want to write and allude to various romances within the story because it makes things more interesting that way. If you want to know who will end up with who, keep on reading (obviously), but also heed the pairings listed in the summary and check my bio to see my favorite pairings. THAT will give you an idea of the ships that end up happening. I will say this: I've never written Shadow off with anyone but Rouge, so forgive me if the Shadikal in this story (spoiler alert that was already mentioned in the first chapter: There WILL be Shadikal.) That being said, I just don't want to disappoint you all if your favorite ships don't sail.**


	3. enter: babylon rogues & team dark

**/enter: babylon rogues & team dark/**

* * *

"So what's in it for us? An endless supply of rings, all the treasures in the world, free wi-fi for the rest of our lives?" A mauve swallow with an insatiable attitude asked.

"How does immunity from facing punishment for all the crimes you've committed sound?" Commander answered bitterly. He took another long drag of his cigarette, studying the faces of the three birds he had managed to haul into headquarters carefully.

Wave sighed, keeping her hands on her hips stubbornly and refusing to show any sign of fear or weakness.

"We could bust out of this joint right now if we wanted to."

"And yet you walked into the control center for the largest international security organization in all of Mobius? My, my, Wave. You give yourself far too much credit that you are not worthy of. I know a little something about you Babylon Rogues."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Jet asked, glaring at the older man.

"I know that you are in a rut. That your extreme gear is not in its best condition. I know you guys are being hunted down. I know that you're worried for the legacy of the Babylonians. Don't test me, young man. I know many, _many_ things."

Jet regained his composure quickly, shutting his mouth and frowning at the Commander. He didn't like feeling as though he had a debt to pay to anyone, especially G.U.N., but if there was a chance that the Commander could help him and his team out under their peculiar circumstances, he was willing to take it. He couldn't speak for Wave, however…

"I'm not even going to bother asking you how the hell you know about our personal business, but we are NOT partaking in anything that would benefit you under the pretense of… blackmail."

"Blackmail? Is that what you call this? I'm merely sharing knowledge with you. It's not as though the information would be beneficial to anybody else. Would it?"

Wave shrugged, crossing her feathery arms stubbornly.

"Look. As for what you're asking of us, we aren't interested."

Jet raised an eye ridge.

"Okay Wave, I appreciate your input, but _I'm_ the front runner of the Rogues, don't forget that. If anyone is speaking up for us, it's me."

"Since when have you ever taken your role as leader seriously? You know that this is bullshit! So I'll speak up and say we aren't interested!"

"So what exactly is _your_ decision?" Commander asked, giving Jet an irritated look.

"…Well, we aren't interested." Jet said weakly, glaring at Wave when she snickered.

"Shut up Wave!"

Wave rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Commander said, letting out a hefty sigh, though he didn't look too disappointed. Instead, he looked towards the door expectantly. "Lucky for you I have much better and competent agents that will get the job done nicely. Thank you for your time though. I really do appreciate it." The sarcasm was practically dripping off of his voice.

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Jet asked.

And as though on cue, Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Tikal, Tails, Cream, Vector, and Charmy stumbled into the room.

"What the hell!?" Wave stared at Sonic and his 'nontourage' in disbelief. "I can't believe you would have the nerve to ask these losers to do your mission _and_ call us incompetent!"

"I never called you guys incompetent, but if the shoe fits…" He shrugged, walking over to the hedgehog and his colorful group of friends.

"Um, what does incompetent mean?" Storm piped up, standing to see what all the commotion was about. Wave sighed, shaking her head and ignoring his question. Jet was already in Sonic's face.

"Funny running into you here, blue boy."

Sonic gave Jet a cocky smile, crossing his arms.

"I'm not surprised to see you here, are you guys finally getting arrested for all the crimes you've committed?"

"We came here on our own accord." Wave said, pointing a feathery claw at him.

"You mean to tell me you knuckleheads walked in here willingly even though you all know you're filthy crooks?"

"Hey," Knuckles piped up in the background, "Last time I checked G.U.N. was pretty nice to thieves."

Commander's brow furrowed.

"We don't care much about our agents' pasts as long as it doesn't intermingle with their futures and their work with us. Now listen up Babylon Rogues, because I'm seriously about to take this offer off of the table if you aren't willing to help. But just know that whatever is happening to you guys outside of this office is none of our business. You can help Sonic and his friends with this mission or leave. Choose wisely."

"…You mean… You won't arrest us?" Jet asked skeptically.

"No. You'll face a much deadlier penalty in due time, trust me."

Jet frowned, looking back at Wave as if silently asking ' _What do I do?'_

Wave shrugged.

"Fine… We're in. But don't even think for one second that it means we'll actually be cooperating with those losers. We can do whatever you want us to do on our own." Jet said, sneering at Sonic, who poked his tongue out at them.

"Okay then," Commander grabbed some files and pressed a special button on his desk. "Agent Topaz will be explaining the mission to you. So please, give her your undivided attention."

Knuckles gave him a weird look.

"Why can't you just tell us?"

"I have to persuade a few of my other agents to join you guys on this mission." The older man said, walking out of the room. Not even a split second later, Topaz rushed in with several packets. She passed them out to everyone before standing behind Abraham's chair.

"Well this is somewhat an improvement from doing all that paperwork, though not by much… Anyways, if you didn't know by now, there is a new school that has opened up in the heart of Station Square. It's called, surprise, surprise, Station Square High School." Topaz let out a huge sigh, flipping through a couple pages of her packet.

"So if you guys could turn to page four, that'd be great…"

Everyone turned their pages. It was a picture of the school, which was admittedly beautiful. From the top down it looked large and lush, with lots of greenery to complement the campus.

"So what's wrong with it? It looks nice. Really nice." Cream commented, staring at the picture in awe.

"A little too nice if you ask me. From first glance, it looks harmless. But as Mobius's largest security organization, it's our duty to oversee everything that happens on this planet, and make sure that there is no activity that could compromise the safety of innocent citizens. The development permits were acquired far too early for the construction of the school, there's no record of the Mobians that built it, and the project only lasted for five days. I know this may sound shocking, but there's no way you can build a school in five days. Not as an ordinary human or anthropomorph, that is."

"Do you think that Egghead was behind this?" Sonic asked.

"That would be the easiest guess. But we aren't so much focused on whose idea it was to make the school at the moment. We need to know why the school was created and what they intend on doing with it. There are so many theories as to what potential dangers could be in the school. Which is why we need the strongest individuals walking in there, while being able to fit into the crowd perfectly. You guys are the perfect group to enter the school undercover. We'll need as many participants as possible. On page twenty, there's a list of different roles each of you can take, based on several age groups. The majority of you guys will be students, obviously, but I do know that – "

Knuckles cut her off with a _very_ audible groan.

"I'm sorry but _why_ do we have to flip through so many pages? I knew I shouldn't have agreed to do this…"

Topaz's eye twitched slightly as she gave Knuckles a livid stare.

"I hope you're aware that posing undercover means that you'll have to do any school assignments they give you at the school. So consider this packet a preview of what's to come. But as for why you may want to be involved in this mission, there's more important information I need to tell you guys."

Now it was Sonic's turn to sigh. There was MORE? He shouldn't have listened to Amy when she tried to wake him up that morning. This was _definitely_ not worth it.

"A suspicious energy is radiating from the school. We aren't quite sure what it is yet, but that's another task we can easily pass on to you guys. We know you don't have your emerald, Knuckles. You'll need to find it; this mission just might be your key to figuring out where it is."

Knuckles crossed his arms indignantly.

"Hmph. You think I need to go on a mission with Sonic to find my emerald? Please! I can find it all on my own. As the guardian, I have a special bond with the emerald that no one in G.U.N. will _ever_ have."

"Then why haven't you found it yet?" Jet asked, rolling his eyes at the echidna's reprehensible pride.

Knuckles stole a glance at Tikal, who bit her lip and held onto her arm awkwardly. She felt bad for stopping him from being able to look for his emerald, but she worried for him. He was so devoted to his obligations as guardian that little else seemed to matter. She wanted him to focus his energy into something else, anything else. Though, if they were to spend more quality time together during the mission while keeping their sixth sense alert, perhaps…

"I-I'm sorry Knuckles. I shouldn't have been so controlling of you. I just – I mean, you know I feel. I'm not a very big fan of violence. But if all of this is for the greater good… I can keep an open mind." She smiled lightly at him.

He nodded, letting a small smile of his own cross his handsome features.

"Thanks."

"Aww!" Amy and Cream cooed together, finding the two echidnas' interaction rather romantic.

Topaz listened to her communicator intently, suddenly smiling excitedly.

"Okay, well, Commander Abraham is coming back with some new additions to your team."

"Nice!" Sonic said, trying to veer everyone's attention away from Topaz's evident unenthusiastic attitude towards talking about their mission, as well as Knuckles' and Tikal's undeniably affectionate exchange. Even if he had just barely met the girl, he couldn't deny that she was attractive and that he was interested in getting to know her. He was tired of being surrounded by irritable and rambunctious females. Someone more mellow and timid was just what he felt he needed at the moment.

From the outside footsteps could be heard. Particularly the sharp clicks of high heels followed by squeaky sneakers.

"So if we do this we're getting a bonus, right?" A rather alluring female voice rang out against the silence as Sonic and his friends waited patiently for their partners to arrive.

"A bonus for doing your job?" There was a gruff laugh. "No. I don't think so, sweetheart."

"But we have to work with Big Blue and his annoying friends!"

Knuckles scoffed.

"Oh…" Amy mumbled.

"Who are those people?" Tikal asked Knuckles curiously.

Knuckles' shoulders slumped.

"There's only one person I know that likes to call Sonic the 'Big Blue'…"

"Hey everyone. I have returned with your new partners. Please welcome Rouge and Shadow to the mission!"

The seductive white bat and brooding black hedgehog came into view.

Amy sighed while Cream put on a fake smile, waving to the mysterious pair happily.

"You!" Wave stepped forward suddenly, pointing a claw at Rouge.

Rouge raised an eye ridge, turning to look at her superior.

"Okay, you're definitely going to have to give me a bonus if I have to work with _her_."

"Rouge, as an agent here at G.U.N. I expect you to have a certain level of professionalism, like your ally Shadow. Isn't that right Shadow?" Commander Abraham turned and looked at Shadow, who was already inches away from Sonic's face. The two hedgehogs were staring at each other menacingly.

"Oh, Chaos..." He closed his eyes, massaging his temple, already regretting his decision.

* * *

 **I forgot to update this. OOPS. Thanks for the reviews guys. I don't have that many by any means, but it's great that people are still reading Sonic High School fanfiction. :^) As you can see I'm trying to create a bit of ambiguity with ships, so you will be seeing subtle hints of pairings that aren't listed in the summary.**

 **(Literally all of my author's notes so far have been me addressing the romance in this story, SORRY. There's also going to be lots of action and adventure too!)**


	4. living arrangements

**/living arrangements/**

* * *

"No." Shadow said stubbornly, glaring at Sonic.

"Ooh, what? Are you jealous?" He teased the dark hedgehog, laughing at his peeved reaction.

Shadow rolled his eyes. Sonic obviously didn't know. After agreeing on the mission, everyone had to figure out living arrangements. Amy would stay with Cream and Vanilla, the house would be split amongst them and Team Chaotix. Sonic was housing Tails and the Babylon Rogues, while Tikal, who refused to leave Knuckles' side, was being pushed to room with Rouge. However, as Rouge's roommate, Shadow refused to let that happen. He didn't know the peach echidna and he never liked Knuckles. Especially after seeing Rouge flirt with him so many times.

"No. I'm not."

"Then why not let Rouge take Tikal and you take Knuckles?"

"No!" Both Knuckles and Shadow roared furiously.

Rouge, who had been primping herself in the bathroom walked back into the conference room everyone had been in. She looked a bit confused at her two favorite males' fuming faces.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Oh, I'll tell you what's wrong –" Sonic started, but Shadow smacked him instantly.

"Nothing is wrong." Shadow reassured her, an evident frown on his face.

"Then why can't Knuckles stay with Rouge?"

Rouge had to withhold a delighted gasp. _That's_ what they've been talking about while she was doing her makeup?

"I don't see why not." She said, sauntering up to Knuckles. She daringly put two fingers on the white crescent moon-shaped tuft of fur on his chest.

Shadow yanked her back suddenly, causing her to yelp in surprise.

"Hey, watch it!" She growled, rubbing her arm.

"They want _her_ to stay with us too." Shadow pointed at Tikal, who blushed and looked down. It was clear that he liked Rouge and was making the innocent echidna feel uncomfortable.

Rouge looked at Tikal. She hadn't noticed the young girl until now. Her shoulders slumped a little when she saw Knuckles take a protective stance over her.

 _Another one?_

Knuckles, who had previously thought he was the sole survivor of his species, seemed to be finding more and more of his own. Not that Rouge particularly cared or anything, the only reason she gave him the time of day was for his emerald and absolutely _nothing_ else. It seemed like he was fixated on this one in particular, and Rouge had to admit that though she was pretty, she didn't quite have the alluring and sassy factor she was certain Knuckles secretly wanted in a woman.

Still, Rouge couldn't keep her composure long enough to play it off like everything was cool.

"What the hell is that?" She scoffed, before she could bite her tongue.

Tikal smiled, her lips quivering.

"M-My name is Tikal. I've been helping Knuckles guard the Master Emerald."

"Ohhhh." Rouge said, giving Tikal the fakest smile in the world. "How is _my_ precious gem doing anyways?"

Knuckles growled, his hands balling up into fists.

"Don't act like you don't know."

"What?" Rouge asked innocently.

"MY emerald was stolen."

Under any other circumstance Rouge would've been alarmed and even a little excited that the emerald was gone. She'd never admit it but she loved when the emerald was shattered or lost somewhere. It gave her an excuse to prove herself as a treasure hunter to Knuckles and impress him with her skills. It was the only way to get him to have any form of respect for her. Her usual seductive charms and her perfect body didn't seem to do the job for Knuckles. He seemed to want something more.

"You mean to tell me that you lost your emerald with _two_ guardians?"

Even Shadow had to snicker at this.

"That's pretty pathetic. Though I wouldn't expect anything more from you."

"Shut your mouth before I make you regret it!" Knuckles said, waving his fist at Shadow.

"Boys, boys. No need to argue. And Knuckles, I don't know where your emerald is if that's what you're insinuating. But I'd be more than happy to help you find it, darling."

"T-That's okay!" Tikal grabbed Knuckles' arm possessively. "We can find it on our own."

"Really? You're a treasure huntress?"

"No. But I have a bond with the emerald like Knuckles does. I can help him find it."

"…I see." Rouge muttered disapprovingly, crossing her arms.

Shadow could tell that she was jealous and it was irking him to no end.

"There has to be another arrangement." He mused. "Knuckles and that girl could stay with you, faker." Shadow said, pointing at Sonic who was being hassled by Amy.

"Okay," Sonic turned indignantly, "First of all, I'm not the faker, _you're_ the faker. Secondly, I already have to take in the Babylon Rogues. I can only fit so many people into my tiny apartment. Rouge, your place is huge! Won't you get your boyfriend to stop being so protective of you?"

Rouge blushed at the boyfriend comment and looked at Shadow, who wasn't even fazed by it or bothered enough to deny it. Before she could respond, Amy had to butt into the conversation and recapture her true love's attention.

"Hey!" Amy wailed, "How do you know what Rouge's place looks like? Are you cheating on me?"

"We aren't dating!" Sonic complained as the pink hedgehog grabbed onto his arm and yanked him towards her once more.

Knuckles rolled his eyes at the blue and pink pair. He wasn't sure why Sonic was so insistent on denying his feelings for the pink hedgehog. Deep down in his heart, despite how much he flirted with other women and fooled around with them, Sonic cared about Amy more than any of those other women. Was being a playboy really more important than someone he had genuine feelings for?

"I hate that bat with every fiber of my being." Knuckles said to Shadow. "And you know that. So what does it matter if we stay with her? I mean, not that it's set in stone or anything. But I don't see what the big deal is."

"Because," Shadow huffed, "I'm her roommate."

Knuckles' jaw dropped.

" **YOU'RE HER WHAT**!?"

* * *

"Thank you so much for this." A green crocodile said graciously, eyeing the older rabbit walking alongside him down the stairs. She was carrying blankets made of yarn, likely handmade by her and her daughter, giving him a tender and affectionate smile.

"You don't have to keep thanking me Vector. It's the least I could do for you guys. You work so hard and you've protected my daughter and me countless times." She opened a door, revealing a room with three makeshift beds. The walls were adorned with paintings.

"This room is lovely, Vanilla…" Vector looked around at the art. It was beautiful. "I had no idea you were an artist."

Vanilla smiled sadly, placing the blankets on the beds accordingly.

"I'm not. This room was my husband's art studio."

"Oh." Vector's face fell at the mention of Vanilla's past love.

Unaware of his distraught expression, Vanilla casually changed the subject.

"I've been meaning to tell you something. I had a feeling you wouldn't be happy about it."

"What?"

"I'm going to apply for a job at the school the kids are going to undercover."

"Vanilla - !" Vector protested, startled.

"Listen to me Vector. I know that you're going to disapprove of this. But G.U.N. has agreed to pay me if I do get a job at the school, and I do need the money. I'm going to be the school nurse. It's a fitting job for me, is it not?"

Vector's mind flashed back to all the times she tended to his wounds when he got injured – even thinking of the missions where he purposely got himself banged up so she could help him. She was good at what she did.

"Yeah… I guess. But I just need you to know this. I'll be there to protect you. Okay?"

"I know you will Vector. But I need you to trust me to protect myself."

"I wouldn't be able to live it down if you got hurt." He grabbed her hand, holding onto it tightly. He loved Vanilla so much, even if he wasn't willing to admit it; he had to let her know that he cared in any other possible way.

Much to his delight, she didn't retract from his touch; instead she stroked his hand affectionately with her own fingers.

"…Then how about we protect each other?"

Vector froze, blushing furiously as Vanilla inched closer and closer to him. For a moment he was sure they were going to kiss, but instead she enveloped him into a warm embrace.

"After so many years of being a single mom, the last thing I need is to be seen as a damsel in distress. This will be a great opportunity for me in so many ways. I hope you can understand that." She whispered softly.

"Of course I understand…" Vector murmured, contemplating whether or not to stroke her back. He decided against it when a pair of green eyes was peering into the room, watching their friendly exchange.

"Um, Vanilla?" Amy slowly opened the door. The elder rabbit pulled away, causing Vector to frown and try his best to not hold any animosity towards Amy.

"Yes dear?"

"Charmy and Espio are starving. Is it okay if I cook them something in your kitchen?"

"Sure. I think we could all use something to eat!" Vanilla patted Vector on the arm, nodding her head towards the kitchen. Vector smiled coyly and followed.

"And then you know what happened!?" Charmy was bouncing around on top of the table with a fork and spoon in his hand. He was using the utensils to reenact an intense battle scene.

"The plane went WHOOSH!" He made the fork and spoon clash with each other, "And there was a BIG explosion! It was like FIREWORKS! Right Espio!?" Charmy grinned, looking at the purple chameleon who remained silent, glaring at the hyperactive bee.

Cream on the other hand looked totally engaged within the conversation and was asking Charmy questions about the event.

"Oh, I hope no one got hurt!"

"Nope, Egghead was controlling all of the planes so only his stupid robots were hurt!"

"Oh yeah, they're so stupid!" Cream said, pointing her fist out.

"Hey!" Vanilla scolded, even though she had a playful look on her face. "Watch your language."

"Yes Ms. Vanilla." Charmy said, putting the utensils down.

"And get your dirty feet off of the table." Vector added, scooping Charmy up into his arms and swinging him around a couple of times before putting him down into the chair.

"Yes Vector…" Charmy mumbled, blushing at Cream.

"So what's for dinner?" Espio asked disinterestedly.

"Well, I'm just going to find a few ingredients and make you guys something delicious!" Amy said, turning to wink at the chameleon. He blinked a few times, looking away. Amy was a sweetheart, but she definitely weirded him out sometimes.

"How do you guys feel about this new mission?" Vanilla asked, setting up plates for everyone.

"I'm a little nervous." Cream admitted, "But lucky for us Tails is going to help us fit in at the school."

"And if any of those bullies think they can mess with us, Espio's gonna set them straight! Right?" He once again looked toward his older companion with that same innocent smile on his face.

"…Right." He said.

"If you need any help, you can come to me too!" Amy chimed in from the kitchen, chopping up some vegetables.

"I think we'll be fine." Cream said, before adding, "Tails is one of the smartest boys I know." She smiled to herself as she walked to the kitchen to get some milk.

"I-I'm pretty smart too!" Charmy said. He didn't like the way Cream was talking about that fox.

Espio rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps Cream could pose as a child prodigy. I'm not so sure about you, Charmy."

Charmy pouted.

"I think I'd be awesome! I already know my times tables, and Vector told me that that's more than what some people on the football team know!" He bragged.

Vanilla giggled.

"It's so nice to spend time with all of you." She said, feeling sentimental all of a sudden. Being surrounded by her and her daughter's companions was reminiscent of what a true family should feel like.

* * *

"So blue boy, this is your place?" Jet asked, shoving past the fuming hedgehog into his apartment.

"Looks like crap." Wave said, smirking at Jet who started laughing.

"At least I _have_ a place." Sonic said indignantly. "Aren't you older than me, Wave? You should be able to house your two boytoys on your own."

Instantly the swallow had Sonic being held up by his neck.

"Say that one more time and I SWEAR –"

"Please! Let him go!" Tails called out, holding onto a few scraps of metal. He put them down and ran to Wave, standing next to her adamantly until she let go of his friend reluctantly.

"Can we all get along? Please? I know you guys don't like each other but we all have something to gain from this mission. But only if we work together."

Jet scoffed.

"I figured you'd be more bothered by the fact that that little rabbit friend of yours is rooming with the bouncy bee."

Tails' fists balled up. He had no idea that Team Chaotix was staying with Vanilla. But it made sense because Vector was head over heels for Vanilla.

"…What?"

"Oh. You didn't tell him?" Jet looked to Sonic innocently.

Sonic on the other hand simply scratched his head, clearly at a loss for what to say.

"I didn't want to upset you, bud. But hey, you'll see her a lot when you tutor her for high school!"

Tails sighed, his namesakes swishing around behind him furiously.

"It would have been nice to know. I don't want to seem like a third wheel around them. Why does he have to stay there anyways?"

"Commuting reasons." Sonic said with a shrug. "That isn't important right now. We need to establish some rules here. Where's your other friend?"

Storm tumbled out of the bathroom as if on cue, smiling lightly at his friends.

"Hey boss!" He said, greeting Jet.

"Hey Storm. Blue boy here was just about to tell us what to do."

Storm looked at Sonic, the smile on his face disappearing instantly. He crossed his bulky, feathery arms and gave Sonic a stink eye.

"As I was saying, there are certain boundaries that need to be set. FIRST of all, if I find that you guys have stolen any of my stuff, there will be hell to pay. You guys may have skills when it comes to Extreme Gear but I can harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds. So I win!" He said, somewhat immaturely.

"It's not like you have anything worth snagging anyways." Wave said.

"Good one," Jet smiled at her, and Wave had to look away before she blushed at his compliment.

"Yeah, well if you change your mind, keep your claws to yourself." Sonic snapped, "Also, no sex on the couch, no staying up past eleven on weekdays…" Sonic looked at the three of them for a moment before thinking of another rule.

"…And no eating worms." He mainly said that to get a rise out of them. And it worked.

"Speciest much?" Jet asked.

"Well that clearly ruffled your feathers." Sonic said, him and Tails both laughing as the three birds got angrier at their snide comments.

"You get the gist of it. It took a lot for me to allow you guys to stay here. If you screw it up then you're out. Do we have a deal?"

Jet frowned, but nodded his head slowly.

"We have a deal."

Storm poked Jet worriedly.

"Do… Do I have to obey those rules Jet?"

"Yeah. We'll play it safe for now." Jet told him. Storm nodded and walked off. Jet smiled at him while he walked away. He had yet to meet someone else that was as loyal as Storm. He always stood by his side faithfully, no matter what. It was a lot more refreshing than Wave, who was stubborn and bratty and scolded him for being irresponsible. Storm could appreciate Jet and what he had to offer.

Wave was about to go to the bathroom when she caught sight of Sonic's Chaos Emerald.

"Hmm…" She said to herself deviously, "I can think of one rule I might consider breaking."

Jet overheard, and raised an eye ridge at her, genuinely surprised. He hadn't seen the gem she was eyeing.

"What? You wanna get frisky on the couch?"

* * *

 **I'm here because I don't want to study for my AP exams. :^)**

 **This was a biiit of a filler but before we dive straight into the high school and drama and blah blah I just want there to be a few more chapters of prep.**


End file.
